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Les Mis&eacute;rables, Volume 3: Marius, Book Eighth: The Wicked Poor Man, Chapter 11: Offers of Service from Misery to Wretchedness<br />
 +
(Tome 3: Marius, Livre huiti&egrave;me: Le mauvais pauvre, Chapitre 11: Offres de service de la mis&egrave;re &agrave; la douleur)
 +
 
 +
==General notes on this chapter==
 +
 
 +
==French text==
 +
 
 +
 +
Marius monta l'escalier de la masure &agrave; pas lents; &agrave; l'instant o&ugrave; il
 +
allait rentrer dans sa cellule, il aper&ccedil;ut derri&egrave;re lui dans le corridor
 +
la Jondrette a&icirc;n&eacute;e qui le suivait. Cette fille lui fut odieuse &agrave; voir,
 +
c'&eacute;tait elle qui avait ses cinq francs, il &eacute;tait trop tard pour les lui
 +
redemander, le cabriolet n'&eacute;tait plus l&agrave;, le fiacre &eacute;tait bien loin.
 +
D'ailleurs elle ne les lui rendrait pas. Quant &agrave; la questionner sur la
 +
demeure des gens qui &eacute;taient venus tout &agrave; l'heure, cela &eacute;tait inutile,
 +
il &eacute;tait &eacute;vident qu'elle ne la savait point, puisque la lettre sign&eacute;e
 +
Fabantou &eacute;tait adress&eacute;e ''au monsieur bienfaisant de l'&eacute;glise
 +
Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas''.
 +
 
 +
 +
Marius entra dans sa chambre et poussa sa porte derri&egrave;re lui.
 +
 
 +
 +
Elle ne se ferma pas; il se retourna et vit une main qui retenait la
 +
porte entr'ouverte.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Qu'est-ce que c'est? demanda-t-il, qui est l&agrave;?
 +
 
 +
 +
C'&eacute;tait la fille Jondrette.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;C'est vous? reprit Marius presque durement, toujours vous donc! Que me
 +
voulez-vous?
 +
 
 +
 +
Elle semblait pensive et ne regardait pas. Elle n'avait plus son
 +
assurance du matin. Elle n'&eacute;tait pas entr&eacute;e et se tenait dans l'ombre du
 +
corridor, o&ugrave; Marius l'apercevait par la porte entre-b&acirc;ill&eacute;e.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Ah &ccedil;&agrave;, r&eacute;pondrez-vous? fit Marius. Qu'est-ce que vous me voulez?
 +
 
 +
 +
Elle leva sur lui son &oelig;il morne o&ugrave; une esp&egrave;ce de clart&eacute; semblait
 +
s'allumer vaguement, et lui dit:
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Monsieur Marius, vous avez l'air triste. Qu'est-ce que vous avez?
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Moi! dit Marius.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Oui, vous.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Je n'ai rien.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Si!
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Non.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Je vous dis que si!
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Laissez-moi tranquille!
 +
 
 +
 +
Marius poussa de nouveau la porte, elle continua de la retenir.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Tenez, dit-elle, vous avez tort. Quoique vous ne soyez pas riche, vous
 +
avez &eacute;t&eacute; bon ce matin. Soyez-le encore &agrave; pr&eacute;sent. Vous m'avez donn&eacute; de
 +
quoi manger, dites-moi maintenant ce que vous avez. Vous avez du
 +
chagrin, cela se voit. Je ne voudrais pas que vous eussiez du chagrin.
 +
Qu'est-ce qu'il faut faire pour cela? Puis-je servir &agrave; quelque chose?
 +
Employez-moi. Je ne vous demande pas vos secrets, vous n'aurez pas
 +
besoin de me dire, mais enfin je peux &ecirc;tre utile. Je peux bien vous
 +
aider, puisque j'aide mon p&egrave;re. Quand il faut porter des lettres, aller
 +
dans les maisons, demander de porte en porte, trouver une adresse,
 +
suivre quelqu'un, moi je sers &agrave; &ccedil;a. Eh bien, vous pouvez bien me dire ce
 +
que vous avez, j'irai parler aux personnes. Quelquefois quelqu'un qui
 +
parle aux personnes, &ccedil;a suffit pour qu'on sache les choses, et tout
 +
s'arrange. Servez-vous de moi.
 +
 
 +
 +
Une id&eacute;e traversa l'esprit de Marius. Quelle branche d&eacute;daigne-t-on quand
 +
on se sent tomber?
 +
 
 +
 +
Il s'approcha de la Jondrette.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;&Eacute;coute... lui dit-il.
 +
 
 +
 +
Elle l'interrompit avec un &eacute;clair de joie dans les yeux.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Oh! oui, tutoyez-moi! j'aime mieux cela.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Eh bien, reprit-il, tu as amen&eacute; ici ce vieux monsieur avec sa
 +
fille....
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Oui.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Sais-tu leur adresse?
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Non.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Trouve-la-moi.
 +
 
 +
 +
L'&oelig;il de la Jondrette, de morne, &eacute;tait devenu joyeux, de joyeux il
 +
devint sombre.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;C'est l&agrave; ce que vous voulez? demanda-t-elle.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Oui.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Est-ce que vous les connaissez?
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Non.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;C'est-&agrave;-dire, reprit-elle vivement, vous ne la connaissez pas, mais
 +
vous voulez la conna&icirc;tre.
 +
 
 +
 +
Ce ''les'' qui &eacute;tait devenu ''la'' avait je ne sais quoi de significatif et
 +
d'amer.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Enfin, peux-tu? dit Marius.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Vous avoir l'adresse de la belle demoiselle?
 +
 
 +
 +
Il y avait encore dans ces mots &laquo;la belle demoiselle&raquo; une nuance qui
 +
importuna Marius. Il reprit:
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Enfin n'importe! l'adresse du p&egrave;re et de la fille. Leur adresse,
 +
quoi!
 +
 
 +
 +
Elle le regarda fixement.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Qu'est-ce que vous me donnerez?
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Tout ce que tu voudras!
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Tout ce que je voudrai?
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Oui.
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Vous aurez l'adresse.
 +
 
 +
 +
Elle baissa la t&ecirc;te, puis d'un mouvement brusque elle tira la porte qui
 +
se referma.
 +
 
 +
 +
Marius se retrouva seul.
 +
 
 +
 +
Il se laissa tomber sur une chaise, la t&ecirc;te et les deux coudes sur son
 +
lit, ab&icirc;m&eacute; dans des pens&eacute;es qu'il ne pouvait saisir et comme en proie &agrave;
 +
un vertige. Tout ce qui s'&eacute;tait pass&eacute; depuis le matin, l'apparition de
 +
l'ange, sa disparition, ce que cette cr&eacute;ature venait de lui dire, une
 +
lueur d'esp&eacute;rance flottant dans un d&eacute;sespoir immense, voil&agrave; ce qui
 +
emplissait confus&eacute;ment son cerveau.
 +
 
 +
 +
Tout &agrave; coup il fut violemment arrach&eacute; &agrave; sa r&ecirc;verie.
 +
 
 +
 +
Il entendit la voix haute et dure de Jondrette prononcer ces paroles
 +
pleines du plus &eacute;trange int&eacute;r&ecirc;t pour lui:
 +
 
 +
 +
&mdash;Je te dis que j'en suis s&ucirc;r et que je l'ai reconnu.
 +
 
 +
 +
De qui parlait Jondrette? il avait reconnu qui? M. Leblanc? le p&egrave;re de
 +
&laquo;son Ursule&raquo;? quoi! est-ce que Jondrette le connaissait? Marius
 +
allait-il avoir de cette fa&ccedil;on brusque et inattendue tous les
 +
renseignements sans lesquels sa vie &eacute;tait obscure pour lui-m&ecirc;me?
 +
allait-il savoir enfin qui il aimait, qui &eacute;tait cette jeune fille? qui
 +
&eacute;tait son p&egrave;re? l'ombre si &eacute;paisse qui les couvrait &eacute;tait-elle au moment
 +
de s'&eacute;claircir? Le voile allait-il se d&eacute;chirer? Ah! ciel!
 +
 
 +
 +
Il bondit, plut&ocirc;t qu'il ne monta, sur la commode, et reprit sa place
 +
pr&egrave;s de la petite lucarne de la cloison.
 +
 
 +
 +
Il revoyait l'int&eacute;rieur du bouge Jondrette.
 +
 
 +
 +
==English text==
 +
 
 +
 +
Marius ascended the stairs of the hovel with slow steps; at the moment
 +
when he was about to re-enter his cell, he caught sight of the elder
 +
Jondrette girl following him through the corridor. The very sight of this
 +
girl was odious to him; it was she who had his five francs, it was too
 +
late to demand them back, the cab was no longer there, the fiacre was far
 +
away. Moreover, she would not have given them back. As for questioning her
 +
about the residence of the persons who had just been there, that was
 +
useless; it was evident that she did not know, since the letter signed
 +
Fabantou had been addressed "to the benevolent gentleman of the church of
 +
Saint-Jacquesdu-Haut-Pas."
 +
 
 +
 +
Marius entered his room and pushed the door to after him.
 +
 
 +
 +
It did not close; he turned round and beheld a hand which held the door
 +
half open.
 +
 
 +
 +
"What is it?" he asked, "who is there?"
 +
 
 +
 +
It was the Jondrette girl.
 +
 
 +
 +
"Is it you?" resumed Marius almost harshly, "still you! What do you want
 +
with me?"
 +
 
 +
 +
She appeared to be thoughtful and did not look at him. She no longer had
 +
the air of assurance which had characterized her that morning. She did not
 +
enter, but held back in the darkness of the corridor, where Marius could
 +
see her through the half-open door.
 +
 
 +
 +
"Come now, will you answer?" cried Marius. "What do you want with me?"
 +
 
 +
 +
She raised her dull eyes, in which a sort of gleam seemed to flicker
 +
vaguely, and said:&mdash;
 +
 
 +
 +
"Monsieur Marius, you look sad. What is the matter with you?"
 +
 
 +
 +
"With me!" said Marius.
 +
 
 +
 +
"Yes, you."
 +
 
 +
 +
"There is nothing the matter with me."
 +
 
 +
 +
"Yes, there is!"
 +
 
 +
 +
"No."
 +
 
 +
 +
"I tell you there is!"
 +
 
 +
 +
"Let me alone!"
 +
 
 +
 +
Marius gave the door another push, but she retained her hold on it.
 +
 
 +
 +
"Stop," said she, "you are in the wrong. Although you are not rich, you
 +
were kind this morning. Be so again now. You gave me something to eat, now
 +
tell me what ails you. You are grieved, that is plain. I do not want you
 +
to be grieved. What can be done for it? Can I be of any service? Employ
 +
me. I do not ask for your secrets, you need not tell them to me, but I may
 +
be of use, nevertheless. I may be able to help you, since I help my
 +
father. When it is necessary to carry letters, to go to houses, to inquire
 +
from door to door, to find out an address, to follow any one, I am of
 +
service. Well, you may assuredly tell me what is the matter with you, and
 +
I will go and speak to the persons; sometimes it is enough if some one
 +
speaks to the persons, that suffices to let them understand matters, and
 +
everything comes right. Make use of me."
 +
 
 +
 +
An idea flashed across Marius' mind. What branch does one disdain when one
 +
feels that one is falling?
 +
 
 +
 +
He drew near to the Jondrette girl.
 +
 
 +
 +
"Listen&mdash;" he said to her.
 +
 
 +
 +
She interrupted him with a gleam of joy in her eyes.
 +
 
 +
 +
"Oh yes, do call me thou! I like that better."
 +
 
 +
 +
"Well," he resumed, "thou hast brought hither that old gentleman and his
 +
daughter!"
 +
 
 +
 +
"Yes."
 +
 
 +
 +
"Dost thou know their address?"
 +
 
 +
 +
"No."
 +
 
 +
 +
"Find it for me."
 +
 
 +
 +
The Jondrette's dull eyes had grown joyous, and they now became gloomy.
 +
 
 +
 +
"Is that what you want?" she demanded.
 +
 
 +
 +
"Yes."
 +
 
 +
 +
"Do you know them?"
 +
 
 +
 +
"No."
 +
 
 +
 +
"That is to say," she resumed quickly, "you do not know her, but you wish
 +
to know her."
 +
 
 +
 +
This them which had turned into her had something indescribably
 +
significant and bitter about it.
 +
 
 +
 +
"Well, can you do it?" said Marius.
 +
 
 +
 +
"You shall have the beautiful lady's address."
 +
 
 +
 +
There was still a shade in the words "the beautiful lady" which troubled
 +
Marius. He resumed:&mdash;
 +
 
 +
 +
"Never mind, after all, the address of the father and daughter. Their
 +
address, indeed!"
 +
 
 +
 +
She gazed fixedly at him.
 +
 
 +
 +
"What will you give me?"
 +
 
 +
 +
"Anything you like."
 +
 
 +
 +
"Anything I like?"
 +
 
 +
 +
"Yes."
 +
 
 +
 +
"You shall have the address."
 +
 
 +
 +
She dropped her head; then, with a brusque movement, she pulled to the
 +
door, which closed behind her.
 +
 
 +
 +
Marius found himself alone.
 +
 
 +
 +
He dropped into a chair, with his head and both elbows on his bed,
 +
absorbed in thoughts which he could not grasp, and as though a prey to
 +
vertigo. All that had taken place since the morning, the appearance of the
 +
angel, her disappearance, what that creature had just said to him, a gleam
 +
of hope floating in an immense despair,&mdash;this was what filled his
 +
brain confusedly.
 +
 
 +
 +
All at once he was violently aroused from his revery.
 +
 
 +
 +
He heard the shrill, hard voice of Jondrette utter these words, which were
 +
fraught with a strange interest for him:&mdash;
 +
 
 +
 +
"I tell you that I am sure of it, and that I recognized him."
 +
 
 +
 +
Of whom was Jondrette speaking? Whom had he recognized? M. Leblanc? The
 +
father of "his Ursule"? What! Did Jondrette know him? Was Marius about to
 +
obtain in this abrupt and unexpected fashion all the information without
 +
which his life was so dark to him? Was he about to learn at last who it
 +
was that he loved, who that young girl was? Who her father was? Was the
 +
dense shadow which enwrapped them on the point of being dispelled? Was the
 +
veil about to be rent? Ah! Heavens!
 +
 
 +
 +
He bounded rather than climbed upon his commode, and resumed his post near
 +
the little peep-hole in the partition wall.
 +
 
 +
 +
Again he beheld the interior of Jondrette's hovel.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
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 +
==Citations==
 +
<references />

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